ingestion

noun

in·​ges·​tion in-ˈjes-chən 

-ˈjesh-

: the act or process of taking in something for or as if for digestion : the act or process of ingesting something

A Cochrane review showed that ingestion of cranberry products may decrease the number of symptomatic urinary tract infections in women …

—Giovanni Montini et al.

Celiac disease is the immune-mediated response to ingestion of gluten from wheat, rye and barley that damages the small intestine.

—Valerie Putnam

After two years of almost manic ingestion of book after book—Montaigne, Milton, Seneca, Dante—he began to write Moby-Dick.

—Andrew Delbanco

Examples of ingestion in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Wild California condors still face threats, such as lead poisoning, habitat destruction and ingestion of microtrash. —Alexa Robles-Gil, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Oct. 2024

It’s transmitted through the ingestion of contaminated food or water. —Fatma Khaled, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2024

Plastic ingestion as an evolutionary trap: Toward a holistic understanding Seaturtle.org. —Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 30 Sep. 2024

Exposure through ingestion, inhalation or in drinking water poses potential risks to human health and wildlife. —Patrick Parenteau, The Conversation, 23 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1620, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

ingestion

noun

in·​ges·​tion in-ˈjes(h)-chən 

: the taking of material (as food) into the digestive system